Brady can't fix Ticats

Latest News

PERRY LEFKO -- Toronto Sun

HAMILTON -- Former Argos quarterback Marcus Brady had his first start with the Tiger-Cats, but it couldn't stop the team's losing streak.

The Tiger-Cats dropped to 0-6 -- the worst record in the CFL -- after losing 28-12 to the surprising Ottawa Renegades last night in front of an announced crowd of 28,822 at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

The Renegades upped their record to 4-3, temporarily tied with Toronto for first in the East, although the Argos have a game in hand. The Renegades won only five games last year and clearly are the surprise of the league.

The Ticats had a record of 9-8-1 last year, but now resemble the one that went 1-17 the season before that.

"We're digging ourselves a hole where now we've got to win 80% to 90% of our games just to get into the playoffs," Brady said. "I don't know what to say. We're 0-6, there's not much you can say, but improve on it."

Slotback Mike Morreale said he could never have perceived the team would be without a win at this juncture.

"I knew there would be tougher sledding because people were aware of everything that we did last year, but this is not good," Morreale said.

Hamilton's Greg Marshall, who was the CFL's coach of the year last season, lamented his team's latest loss and talked about the challenge ahead.

"We're going to claw and scratch out that first win, and when we get that first win, we'll get another one," he said. "But it has got to happen because everyone wants (it). It can't just be the coaches or (some) group of players. When you lose like this you're fighting your confidence, too. It's easy to have that bravado and go out next week and win and then after that we're going to win 10 in a row.

"This was a must win. We needed to beat Ottawa to make the playoffs. Am I saying we're mathematically out of it? No."

Brady, who connected on 22 of 36 passes, did some good things in his first career start in 18 regular-season games for the Tiger-Cats, who were missing regular starter Danny McManus. He is nursing a sore thumb on his throwing hand injured in a game last week against the Edmonton Eskimos.

Brady tossed a third-quarter touchdown pass to fullback Julien Radlein, stopping a string of two touchdowns on consecutive series by Ottawa, which had three second-half majors. Quarterback Kerry Joseph threw touchdowns to Cory Hathaway, Jason Armstead and Yo Murphy.